


Beyond the Night: Beyond the Team

by Yemi Hikari (Yemi_Hikari)



Series: Beyond the Night [3]
Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Aged-Up Zatanna Zatara, Bullying, Gen, Mission Fic, Past John Grayson II/Zatanna Zatara, Romani Dick Grayson, Team Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:35:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 19,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25194763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yemi_Hikari/pseuds/Yemi%20Hikari
Summary: Robin doesn't want to be leader after the events which led to the Teen Titans disbanding, but there is conflict between Aqualad and Red Arrow regarding who will be leader. On top of this, the team gets - as Red Arrow refers to them as - another over glorified baby sitter.
Relationships: Dick Grayson & Raven, Dick Grayson & Victor Stone, Dick Grayson & Wally West
Series: Beyond the Night [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823983
Kudos: 8
Collections: (World) Beyond the Night (DC Comics/Batman), Platonic Relationships





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer – I don't own Teen Titans or Young Justice.
> 
> This is a part of my Beyond the Night series which is working its way into an alternative origin story for Terry McGinnis from the Batman Beyond series. I'd discovered myself needing to backtrack to earlier in the plot to make things work. This is the first story which won't be a one-shot due to the fact this is the first part which can't be told in the one-shot format. The one-shots leading up to this particular fanfic are Beyond the Night: Beyond Justice is the first fifteen one-shots.
> 
> For those who don't want to dig into a one-shot collection rated mature (sixteen and up), here is what readers need to know.  
> \- The Teen Titans came before the Young Justice Team. The Teen Titans were disbanded because the incident with Trigon ended in a darker manner than the Teen Titans cartoon. While the other Titans got shipped off, Cyborg was left in a comma and a mess.  
> \- Barbara and Zatanna aren't the same age in Dick. Zatanna knew the Flying Grayson's but was the fiancé of Dick's cousin. Zatanna thinks the only member of the Grayson family left is Dick's uncle.  
> \- Roy hates the Teen Titans. He especially hates the "circus freak" leader of the Titans who happened to have posters in their room. What he doesn't realize though is Robin is said, leader. Roy's torn between respecting Robin as the first sidekick but also underestimates him.

"I'm scared."

The occupant lying nearby didn't respond yet said a person couldn't even if they wanted to. In fact, there was some doubt whether a said person could even hear what was being said by their companion sitting in the chair next to them. Their normally dark feature was slightly ashen, yet despite their comatose state – or possibly because of it, their friend chattered away.

"I'm _really_ , _really_ scared Cyborg, but I'm really not feeling the aster right about now." Robin let out a sigh, running a hand through his dark hair, his eyes shutting tightly behind his mask. "Where do I even begin? Oh, let's start off with the fact I got the team screwed up. Teen Titans is no more because I'm such – ugh. I can't even think of a word. I never used them in front of everyone.

"It's kind of… well, definitely my fault. I was the leader after all and look at you, here lying in the bed. Your dad, Bats, they say you're completely fixed, and that the choice to wake up is completely yours, yet I can't blame you for not. Truth be told I don't know what scares me worse, you not waking up, or you waking up and seeing…"

Robin fell silent, turning to slump over in his chair. "I feel like I betrayed the team. I'm actually…"

The silence must have lasted quite some time, but when Robin started speaking again his voice strained. "I'm a part of a new team now. I didn't…" There came the words he didn't like. "I didn't abandon you guys, but…" Robin placed a hand on his forehead, letting out a sharp hiss through his teeth. "I'm with another team. I keep telling myself, it's to make things right, for all of is, but it feels like I am lying to myself, to everyone."

"I mean… aren't I just being self-centered?" The thought thrummed in the back of his head. "It's…"

His train of thought became lost, his voice silencing. "Am I afraid that they'll find out I'm a freak? I've always embraced it, even though my freakiness has never been like you guys. Is that why I say nothing or is it because of I…" Robin let out an aggravated sound, both of his hands going to the palm of his head while his fingers tightened around his dark locks of hair. "If I fail, will Batman get rid of me? I know it sounds stupid, and probably not me. Like the me you know."

Dick let out a deep sigh. "Look. I need to say it. The new team, they're looking for a leader. But, I can't. I can't lead again. It's driving me nuts."


	2. Annoying Bird

Zatanna set her duffle bag down onto the old bed in the small, rundown apartment in Gotham. The young woman's nose wrinkled up at the dust which gathered upon all of the furnishings, only to find herself sneezing violently. She lifted her hand up to wipe her nose with her thin finger, her bright blue eyes watching the rain pelt the window, washing away some of the grime of the city.

" _When am I going to get my own student tati._ " Letting a sigh, Zatanna flopped down onto the bed next to her bag, hearing the old antiquated piece of furniture creak under her weight. Despite already finding herself on the fast track regarding her magical training, Zatanna found herself pushed by events four-years-ago yet constantly found her father pushing back as she reached each stage. " _That's the next stage of my training. And I'm already been a member of the Justice League since I turned eighteen half-a-year ago._ "

" _I told you figlia, earn a bachelor's degree and we'll talk._ "

" _Why are you so insistent about that? I already graduated a year early from high-school, but also managed to earn an associate degree. Even before I joined the league, I've been doing missions on my own – a part of my magical training._ "

" _Bruce Wayne is paying, but you should be grateful for the gift and kindness._ "

" _Or you're taking advantage of his generosity to prevent me from moving onto the next stage of my training as long as possible._ " That hadn't been a question. " _You were expecting me not to have my bachelor's degree until I was at least twenty-two._ "

Zatanna let out a sigh, covering both bright blue eyes with her thin fingered hands. "Curtailing my training _tati_ doesn't stop tragedy from coming my way." Letting out a sigh, she sat up, looking at the window and the rain which continued to drip down the windows. Her bright blue eyes narrowed, noting that tragedy was part of Gotham, and not something people could escape from.

Letting out a sigh, Zatanna pushed a lock of black hair from her face, remembering when her father showed up at her graduation. There was a proud twinkle in his eyes, and yet there was this feeling of dread that he would deny her chance of having her own student. " _Remember Tati, you promised. I even took a year off from superhero duties and concentrated on my studies, both magical and academic for this._ "

" _Yes, yes. Meet me at the Watch Tower in a couple of days._ "

Zatanna sighed, before heading to the door wishing the rain would stop. She locked her possessions behind the door to her apartment before heading for the nearby zeta-beam tech. A light went off in the abandoned photo booth, making her pull in a deep breath. Who was coming through – it honestly mystified her.

When the light stopped, a small figure stepped out of the abandoned phone booth crashing into her. The size of the person prevented her from catching a good look before the collision, but what she did see was a gloved arm lifted, covering the person's eyes, yet she also saw gritted teeth. Zatanna felt the small body which crashed into her own tensed up. "I am _so_ not feeling whelmed right now."

Instinctively, her hand reached out to grab the person's ear, only for said person to backflip away from her. The boy – for that's what he was - landed in a puddle, quickly going into a crouch as his hand reached for a yellow utility belt. Zatanna's eyes also took in the bright yellow of the cape along with the yellow R etched on his chest. His eyes narrowed behind the mask on his face, yet his mouth twisted into a rather annoying smirk.

" _That's why I'm allowed to go out. I'm a big boy, but not a big-big boy like Jojo yet._ "

The flicker of the buried memory made Zatanna frown. " _A life cut short._ "

"Who are you?" The boy's voice cracked. "What are you doing in Gotham?"

"Who am I? I'm wondering who you are, but also why you came out of the Justice League's transportation device."

The person in question blinked, his dark locks plastering down in front of his face making him seem like some defenseless animal. "Oh…" His eyes darted up and down, making Zatanna draw her breath in upon seeing his gaze. "Your outfit looks like Zatara's. Does that mean he's your mentor?"

"That's not any of your business. Again, who are…"

The boy held up his arms, but his dense stance melted. "I'm Robin. Batman is my mentor."

Zatanna took a deep breath, finding the cheeky grin a tad annoying. It didn't help she remembered another cheeky grin which a gentle smile of another person wasn't around anymore, but also. "Batman?" The young magician took a deep breath. "Why aren't you taking the entrance from his lair?"

"Uh…" The corner of the boy's mouth twisted slightly. "I'm completely concerted and not crying. Completely, absolutely feeling the aster right now." The boy pulled out a grappling hook with a swift movement which pulled him up into the air, disappearing. Taking a deep breath, Zatanna stepped into the booth, not at all sure what her encounter was all about. The light flashed, taking her to the Watch Tower.

**~B~**

"I'm scared."

Cyborg took a deep breath in his mindscape. The voice in question was Robin, yet he'd never, ever heard Robin speak in such manner. The young man was, after all, the strict leader of the Teen Titans despite his young age, very much the image of pure confidence, cockiness and everything Beast Boy wanted to be.

He wondered if there was any time he'd ever seen Robin terrified. He kept thinking, yet nothing seemed to come to mind. After all, Robin worked with Batman, the person everyone feared, and Robin _wasn't_ afraid of Batman at all.


	3. Soaked Feathers

Barreling into one of the Justice League members in Gotham honestly did not make Robin's day any better.

The rain thankfully hid the few stray tears which managed to leak under his mask, though Zatara's protégée may have noticed Robin absentmindedly wiping his eyes upon leaving the zeta-beam location. However, chances of her not catching his panicked slip of the tongue were slim. Somehow, he managed to escape before the young female could ask any more questions.

He slipped into the cave sopping wet, his cape leaving a puddle on the floor. A soft towel hit the top of his head, only for the feeling of fingers massaging out the wetness from Robin's dark locks. His bright baby blues closed, a sigh escaping his lips. "Alfred?"

"If you're not careful, Master Dick, you'll find yourself becoming ill. Master Bruce would not be pleased."

"When is he pleased with anything I do?"

Alfred paused, leaning slightly over. "What about winning your mathematics competition?"

Dick pushed his lips together. "Expected?"

The old man sighed, returning to his musings, his fingers remaining gentle. "You need to change out of that uniform, but head to Mount Justice."

"Did Bru… Batman say why?" Robin let out a sigh, his eyelids beginning to close.

"Apparently the team will be meeting one of their other supervisors. You would not want to miss that, would you?"

The thirteen-year-old's eyes blinked. "Wait. This wouldn't be Zatara's protégée?" Robin tilted his head. "She's like, what? Nineteen?"

"I wonder how you came to suspect the person is Zatara's daughter?"

The young teen took a deep breath. "I kind of bumped into her. I don't get why she's in Gotham though. Batman doesn't exactly like other heroes encroaching on his territory. I mean, he was reluctant…" Robin felt his mouth push together, unable to say, " _… to take me on._ "

"It's complicated…" Alfred ruffled Robin's hair some more, while the teen removed his mask. "… but also a story for Master Bruce to tell you."

"So, you're saying the topic is off limits?" A deep breath escaped Dick's lips as he unfastened the clasp on his cape. "That's normal." The teen stepped away before the butler might correct his errant train of thought, stepping into the room where the spare uniforms were kept. Alfred followed with the cape, hanging the cape over a bar to dry.

"I did not say the topic was off limits at all, Master Dick."

Dick startled, turning to look at Alfred. A glint was in the older man's eyes. Glancing away, the young man pondered the meaning of the words and actions. Slipping into the dry uniform, he took a deep breath turning to the butler. "Are you saying he'd actually _want_ to talk about i?"

The corner of Alfred's mouth twisted up. "Why wouldn't he?"

"Why would he?"

"That is for you to ask and find out."

Dick let out a sigh, one hand reaching up to touch his still damp locks of hair, frustrated in not knowing what Alfred meant. " _No. He means to say it's not a bad story, yet – if it's not a bad story, how does that fit in with me? He never wanted a partner, but is fine with them?_ " Dick stopped his train of thought, reminding himself of how he respected the older members of the Justice League, even if… " _… they broke the Teen Titans up, but didn't let us have any say._ "

Putting on a fresh mask, Robin took a deep breath. "Pretend I don't know?"

"I'm honestly not sure how you're supposed to act. There are a lot of things you don't know that others shouldn't, but through no fault of yours. You are a very gifted young man, Master Dick. Don't you ever forget that."

"Yeah, well…" Robin wanted to say something regarding humility, but not being special, yet he knew Alfred would always find some kind of advice to give which would counter anything his so-called genius young mind could think of. After all, it was the mind of someone people considered a child genius versus a man with a life time of experience.

Handing the wet clothes to Alfred, he headed to the zeta-tube in the Batcave. His body ached despite having done nothing, yet he found himself not really in the mood for company. This didn't prevent him from putting on his normal mask, with his wide smile as he ginned at everyone around him. He hoped over the sofa, sitting down next to a rather bored looking Roy Harper. "Hi."

Red Arrow looked up, his mouth pushing together as he crossed his arms. "Seriously? This is not some kiddy club Robin."

Robin felt his smile falter, his hand reaching up to touch his arm, his eyes squeezing shut. He gritted his teeth, possibly in an obvious manner. Wally's voice came from nearby. "Rob, something the matter?"

The thirteen-year-old suck in his breath deeper, his eyes narrowing as his tongue clicked on the roof of his mouth. He couldn't help but sound irritated when he said, "fine."

"Aren't you holding your hand where you got shot?" Roy spoke up, his tone of voice changing.

Robin's eyes widened, feeling Red Arrow's fingers reach out to the shoulder where the bullet had grazed him, something which in the long run amounted to _Roy_ 's fault. His hand slapped the older teen's hand away, his eyes narrowing in irritation. " _Don't_ touch me."

Red Arrow lifted his hands up. "Wow. I've not done anything, yet you're treating Superboy better?"

Rarely did he _ever_ lose his temper, yet he found himself slapping the older teen's hand away. "Don't touch me."

Roy's eyes narrowed, but thankfully he said nothing. Out of the corner of his eye, Robin saw Wally's mouth twist, almost as if he felt Robin had overdone his reaction. Letting out a sigh, Robin hopped up, heading to the gym area to cool off some steam.

**~B~**

"I'm scared."

Cyborg still couldn't _see_ Robin. Instead, he felt a cold wet rain begin to pelt him. He looked up, swallowing at the thought of Robin being scared of something. After all, Robin wasn't afraid of Batman at all, yet the cyborg teen knew full well everyone had their dark sides. Robin hid his well.

* * *


	4. Mentorship

"Yrd ym sehtolc."

Zatanna took a deep breath, her eyes taking in the golden rays of sunlight flickering across the windows of the Watch Tower looking out over the planet Earth. The sun slowly set over the heavenly body, casting a beautiful sight to the beholder stationed on the viewing deck.

Her father let out a deep sigh of relief as he looked away from the scene in front of him. Batman worked at a nearby console while Wonder Woman stood nearby, waiting with a smile on her face. "I told her she'd be here soon, did I not?"

Zatara let out a sigh, looking down at his watch. "You were supposed to be here five minutes ago. What is with the delay?" A laugh escaped Zatanna's mouth, making her father look up, his eyes twinkling. He pulled his daughter into a gentle hug. "It's good to see you, though."

"You saw me at my graduation only a few days ago, _tata._ " The young woman pushed away slightly. Out of the corner of her eye, she was sure the stoic Batman's mouth twitched in amusement, but there was also the chance she was wrong. No, she definitely had to be.

"Congratulation on earning your bachelor degree. It is a major achievement, and at only nineteen?" Wonder Woman smiled at the younger female.

"Not really. These days, quite a few teens are fast-tracking themselves towards graduating high school, but starting college at the junior level. It meant though, despite being a league member for a year and a half that I missed league duties for a year, and I'm excited about resuming them." She looked at her father, watching his mouth twitch, his arms crossed.

"Well, I'm certainly glad for more women power."

"Well…" Zatanna pulled her hands behind her back. "I'm actually excited about getting my first student." Her father's mouth twitched. "Come, _tata_! You promised I'd be able to take on my first student." The female magician watched her father take a deep breath. "Please tell me you aren't being your overprotective self, _tata_."

"I'm actually _not_ the most overprotective person in the league." Zatara shot Batman a pointed look, but Wonder Woman sighed.

"Oh, you are being overprotective Zatara." Wonder Woman glared at Batman. "Sometimes I wish a certain someone was _more_ overprotective, but surely you can see that your daughter is what, nineteen now? Almost twenty I guess. Surely you can allow her a little more freedom. Isn't that why we decided she would be in charge of the team alongside Red Tornado and…"

" _What_ team?" Zatanna took a deep breath, folding her arms across her chest. One of her eyebrows shot up as she wondered what the older adults were even talking about.

"The league has decided to form a team comprised of the young sidekicks of the league members." Batman spoke, remaining emotionless as ever. There was no way he'd smirked back then.

Zatanna tensed up, her bright blue eyes widening. "Wait. So instead of getting my own student – my own sidekick…" Her fingers lifted up into an air quote. "…I am having to watch over the other league members' sidekicks? You do know the last part of my training is to take on my own student, right? How much longer is it going to be postponed?"

"All in due time, _figlia_."

"In due time?" Zatanna bit her lip slightly. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Since I'm the one who requested this of Zatara…" Batman spoke, receiving a glare from the man. "Your student is due back in a short period of time."

Zatanna's hands clenched into fists. "What do you _mean_ my student is due back? Where is she, or he?"

" _She_ has been on retreat to a temple until you finished your degree." For some reason Batman kept speaking.

"Wait…" She couldn't help but swallow, the disappointment evident in her voice. "I am supposed to teach someone who's already begun her magical training?" She took a deep breath. "If so, how is she to be my student? Why is she my first student?"

"Because I am trusting her into your capable hands, but would trust no one other than you or her father.

Zatara took a deep breath. "Zatanna, Raven is a special case."

"All of the Teen Titans are special cases." Wonder Woman sighed. "I thought taking on my own charge would prove easy, yet that girl…"

"Teen Titans?"

"The incident in Jump City…" Zatara took a deep breath.

"The demons? What of them?" Zatanna watched as her father and Wonder Woman looked at each other. "And is Teen Titans the name of the group, because I'm so far not impressed."

"No. The team has no name." Wonder Woman frowned, glancing at Batman. "The Teen Titans were an unsanctioned group of teen and preteen superheroes that the league unfortunately did _not_ notice the activity of over the last year. _That_ , or someone possibly _ignored_ the activity, having given a certain someone to much freedom."

" _Robin. She means Robin?_ _Why?_ "

The other female hero continued. "The only reason we came to know about the groups incident was the incident last year in Jump City."

"The magic rumor mill has it the incident involved Trigon. Are you telling me a bunch of kids dealt with Trigon?" Zatanna felt dread rushing over her.

"Yes. Raven is after all the half-human daughter of Trigon." Batman's words made the dread increase. "And if it weren't for her, Robin and the rest of the team, things would have been far worse."

Her throat tightened. "Wait. _Robin_ is a part of the Teen Titans group?"

"Was, as we disbanded it. He was the one who formed the team." Wonder Woman gave Batman another glare.

" _You_ … _"_ Zatanna felt her voice strain even more. "You _let_ him!"

"He didn't know any more than any of us." Superman's voice made Zatanna jump. Wonder Woman let out a deep sigh.

The female magician turned. "Didn't know? Batman's supposed to be the world's _greatest_ detective. How could he not know?' Something else dawned on her. "Wait? Are you telling me _Robin_ is a part of the team?"

Zatara's eyebrow's shot up, but her father had a look of worry. "Zatanna, you've never worked with Robin before, let alone had a chance to meet him."

She could have said she bumped into him just a few minutes ago, but instead said, "He went behind the league's back and created his own group? Why? So he could have his own team like Batman?"

"Not quite." Superman took a deep breath.

"Not…" Zatanna took a deep breath.

"Robin is a very precocious child, no doubt. He shouldn't be underestimated, but he's the reason why the team went unnoticed. Which is saying something, as the other members are an orange-skinned alien, a green monkey boy, a cyborg and your student."

"How is that praiseworthy!"

"Only _some_ think that's praiseworthy…" Wonder Woman glared at Batman, "… while others of us feel Robin should have trusted us. Yet I have to admit Robin's reason was right. The children need a place, but none of us adults would have noticed the needs of the children."

"But _why_ is this Raven my student?"

"Because you are the person best suited to fulfill her needs." Superman spoke up.

"Hypocrite." Batman piped up, receiving a glare from Superman.

Zatanna wasn't sure if she wanted to ask, but she was also not sure she wanted to deal with a precocious eleven-year-old. "Wonderful."

"I know, but give this a chance, _figlia_." Zatara took a deep breath. "And to be honest, I'm glad the opportunity to be Raven's mentor came your way." She thought for a minute he'd say something about holding her back. "As much as I don't want you to start on the last part of your journey, becoming the teacher instead of the student – it is time. But for you, not just any student."

"Alright." Except, it didn't feel that way.

**~B~**

The rain continued to drip down, leaving a cascade of water all over, yet he felt it all over despite being a cyborg. "I'm scared."

The young man finally turned, taking a deep breath upon seeing the soaking wet Robin in front of him. Was Robin trembling from the cold, or from fear.


	5. Den Mother

" _Wow. I've not done anything, yet you're treating Superboy better?_ "

Red Arrow's words kept churning at the back of Robin's mind, wondering what Roy meant. " _So not feeling the aster right now. He doesn't trust me, but then why should anybody. What I don't get is why he implied I trust Superboy more than him? Is he prejudiced against Superboy like Superman is?_ " Another thought crossed his mind. " _If anybody shouldn't be trusted, it's me. After all, it's my fault the Teen Titans ended up the way they did._ "

Of course, the youngest member of the team decided to dismount at that point, leading Dick's landing ending with a far from pleasing result. At first, he said nothing, let alone did nothing. The air remained knocked out of his lungs, but when he finally caught his breath, a groan escaped his mouth and his blue eyes shut. He found himself glad he wore his Robin costume rather than his civvies, otherwise his sunglasses would have found themselves on the floor next to him, or under him.

Which in turn turned out a good thing, as Robin's eyes sprung open to see Zatara's daughter looking down at him, her arms crossed.

The corner of his mouth twisted up upon registering the look of displeasure on her face. "So _not_ feeling the aster right now."

"I'm not sure what that means, but I must say I am disappointed."

Robin felt as if a heavy brick was dropped then and there in the middle of his chest. He loved words, but one word he didn't like was the word disappointed. Every time he heard the word, he felt like crying, yet he was honestly too old for any of the emotional breakdowns he had when first becoming Robin. He swallowed, choking back the pain. "I am fully aware I failed the dismount majorly."

"The dismount. The dismount is beside the point. I'm talking about the fact you are using the gym equipment without anyone spotting you. Surely Batman doesn't let you do your routine without anyone spotting you?" She reached out her hand, helping him up.

He said nothing, not sure how to explain the answer was technically no, and that spotting him through the camera system didn't count. He dusted himself off, refusing to look her in the eye, knowing full well his mentor only sometimes used the cameras.

"The fact you're answering is answer enough." The female – Robin happened to glance up at the wrong moment – gave him a look which almost rivaled Batman's, but then again, he'd heard the word disappointment from the person he knew Batman choose personally to keep an eye on the team. "You are _not_ to go use the gym equipment without supervision, do you understand?"

"But…" Robin swallowed, hating some of his freedom taken away. She also doubted his own ability. She continued adding to the sting he felt.

"Do I need to ban you from using the equipment."

" _I'd like to see you try,_ " he wanted to quip, yet he found himself unable to speak.

"Seriously. I find myself having to hunt you down because none of the other team members knew where you got yourself to, and this is what you're doing? You could have been seriously hurt." Her tone thickened. "You _could_ be seriously hurt."

"I'm _fine_." There finally came a bit to his words. "I do this all the time on Gotham's highest buildings without a net. I don't…" He received a good hard slap across his cheek. "What…"

"Don't you _dare_ trivialize this situation Robin. My word on this is final, but we have a meeting with the rest of the team."

"I'm not going."

"Do I need to have a word with Batman about your behavior?"

"No." Robin swallowed, looking at the ground. "I'll go."

He followed her, acting very much like the chastised child he was. The fingers of his hands locked behind his back, his mouth twisting in frustration. They arrived in the room, and she took a deep. "So. Now that I've found Robin, I can introduce myself."

"I'd love to introduce myself to you anytime." Wally winked at her, only for the young woman to give him a look the speedster didn't read. Robin slowly sidestepped over to his friend, yet hid behind him, hoping the fact he was attempting to hide went unnoticed. One hand reached out with trepidation, latching onto the back of Kid Flash's uniform, gripping tightly.

Kid Flash glanced back slightly, yet quickly turned away, being fully aware of certain things the rest of the team were not. The female cleared her throat. "My name is Zatanna. I've been chosen as one of the adult supervisors for the team."

"Exactly how old are you?" Roy leaned into the couch, his arms crossing. His eyes narrowed at the new comer. Robin's mouth formed a circle, bewildered that the older teen would say such a thing. "And exactly who are you? I've certainly never heard of you."

"I'm Zatara's former student, and will be soon taking on my own, as is customary for magicians." The mentioning of magic made Wally snort, only to receive an elbow in the ribs from behind him so she could continue. "As for my age, that is none of your business."

"Yes, it is. You don't look that much older than any of us."

"I'm nineteen." Zatanna revealing her age made Robin's eyes widen, and he shifted from foot to foot wondering if – since she was still in her teens – that she might still bond with the rest of the team.

Roy of course put his mouth in it without saying anything. How someone could do so by only making an irritated sound, Robin did not know, but Red Arrow did indeed manage such a feet.

"Do you have a problem?"

"Yeah. The fact you're only a year older than me. What makes you qualified to supervise us?"

Zatanna folded her arms cross her chest, her eyes narrowing. "Do you have a bachelor's degree?"

Roy's mouth opened, and Robin elbowed Wally lightly. "Burn."

He felt Kaldur's hand placed on his shoulder, making him look up at the older teen. The Atlantian shook his head, indicating now wasn't the time for friendly teasing. The young female frowned. "I didn't think so. Since I've introduced myself, how about you introduce yourselves."

"I'm Robin."

The answer came out with his usual zeal, yet everyone looked at him like he'd done something strange.

"So. I'm Wally West, also known as Kid Flash. My mentor is the Flash. I'm fifteen. That isn't to young for maybe possibly going on a date?"

Robin started to laugh, only for Kaldur to nudge him, shaking his head again. Zatanna narrowed her eyes. "Completely and utterly inappropriate question."

"How…" Superboy piped up.

"Really? After _that_ inappropriate incident you had with Robin?"

The color drained from Robin's mouth, suddenly wishing Roy could keep his mouth shut. He wasn't surprised when Zatanna said, " _what_ inappropriate incident?"

**~B~**

"I'm _really_ , _really_ scared Cyborg." Robin couldn't look him in the eye, as if…

The teen took a deep breath, realizing suddenly Robin's mask was gone. As far as he knew, he was the only one on the team who _knew_ Robin's identity due to Wayne corporation's connections to his father's research. As such, his mind knew all to well the color of Robin's eyes, and so he knew his mind wasn't replacing the mask with an educated guess regarding what Robin looked like without his mask.


	6. Babysitter

She came into the whole thing begrudgingly, feeling suddenly like a babysitter rather than a teacher.

With a student, she expected a decent age gap, and yet stepping into the room allowing the computer to announce, "Zatanna, one-seven" she quickly saw no major age gap between her and the four male members of the team. The three looked around sixteen to eighteen, making the one to three-year age gap a stark contrast against the eight to nine-year gap she expected between her and Robin.

Two of the males looked up at her, while one remained sitting with his eyes glued to the television screen. The oldest narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

She refused to sigh, let alone know the situation frustrated her, knowing full well she'd struggle with earning their respect due to the age gap, but also her gender. Particularly, she thought, with that one. She cleared her throat. "Where's Robin?"

"I asked who you are?"

"May I please answer that question when the entire team is together, so I don't have to repeat my explanation?"

"Check the gym." The kid in the yellow costume spoke up. The symbol indicated that one was likely the sidekick of the Flash, and yet she remembered him being one of the more vocal opponents against sidekicks. She headed to the gym, only for her worst nightmare to unfold. Her eyes clenched shut upon seeing Robin's dismount, realizing a tad too late he wasn't going to land correctly, meaning she couldn't say a spell to stop him from hitting the ground.

A sickening feeling hit the pit of her stomach, her mind flying to John's family. Robin seemed between the age Dick died and the age Dick should now be, and yet seeing the fall hit hard. Lecturing Robin felt uncomfortable due to the lack of difference in age between her and the rest of the team, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth. The bitter taste worsened though, when Robin said. "I do this all the time on Gotham's highest buildings without a net. I don't…"

"Don't you _dare_ trivialize this situation Robin. My word on this is final, but we have a meeting with the rest of the team." She felt like vomiting, hating how he reminded her the Grayson's wouldn't have died had there been a net for their act. She found his comment callous, but disrespectful. " _How can someone be so callous when it comes to their own life like that, and none the less, a child._ "

Yet she couldn't _say_ any of this. After all, a secret identity is a secret identity, not that her and her fathers were really that secret. Robin became meek, not the reaction she wanted, and hid behind the speedster who did indeed prove to be Flash's sidekick. The conversation lurched out control when Kid Flash, who stunk at keeping secret identities a secret practically asked her out. She'd not expect a comment regarding… " _What_ inappropriate incident?"

"Nice going, Speedy." Wally muttered while Robin ducked completely behind Kid Flash.

The female magician took a deep breath, knowing full well her start as team supervisor started off majorly on the wrong foot. Superboy seemed as confused as she. "Yes. What inappropriate incident?"

Roy's voice rose. "Seriously! You _don't_ know _what_ I'm talking about? Are you kidding me? I'm talking about _that_ incident with Robin. Where you went and…"

"Didn't we promise _not_ to talk about _that_." She heard Robin's muffled voice, her lips pressing together wondering what _that_ was.

"The thing we promised to _not_ talk about are the stupid Teen Titans." Roy snapped. "We did _not_ promise to talk about Superboy kissing you."

"Superboy did _what_?" Zatanna's jaw clenched. The youngest Superboy could be from her estimates was sixteen, and she estimated Robin was at most eleven. She turned to glare at the one she now realized had relation to Superman. "You went and kissed someone much younger than you?"

"Actually, he went and kissed someone much older than him." Robin peeked out from behind Kid Flash.

"What?"

The Atlantean took a deep breath. "I am Aqualad, or Kaldur'am, Kaldur for short. I am sixteen. What Robin means is Superboy isn't even a year old." Zatanna's eyes blinked.

Superboy looked away. "I'm Superman's clone, artificially grown for sixteen weeks. They rescued me from Cadmus, and that was only about a week ago, though physically I am sixteen."

Kid Flash lifted his hands up, motioning for her to calm down. "It was simply a misunderstanding."

"Yeah. Caused by you." Roy piped up.

"What's your name?"

"Red Arrow, Roy Harper, and I'm eighteen." The young man crossed his arms, glaring at her."

Meaning, he was the only one truly close to her in age, but also the only one giving her any real flack about the League assigning her to babysitting duty. She swallowed, asking the next question. "Does anyone else in the League know about this incident."

"No." All five spoke at the same time, meaning they _didn't_ want the rest of the League to know.

"Well, Tornado might." Robin piped up. "But he doesn't tell, because he knows SB and I hashed things out so there is no misunderstanding between us regarding, well… _that_."

"I say that incident is on his watch, so could we possibly leave it at that?" Zatanna choked out.

Robin turned to the rest of the team. "Hey, since we have that settled, how about some team bonding with our new babysitter?"

Roy's mouth opened to protest. Zatanna sighed, pinching her nose, wondering what exactly was wrong with Robin, when he could go from meek and humble due to her overstepping earlier, too chipper the very next second. "Look. I was told to pick a room and settle in. I brought some stuff with me, so I'll go and unpack and leave you five to talk this over. I can trust you to behave, right." They stared at her, making her unsure. "Okay. Leaving now."

**~B~**

"Why are you scared Robin?" Cyborg held out his hand, trying to calm the Robin in front of him down. The rain came down, yet for some reason he knew this Robin was crying.

"Definitely my fault."

Cyborg's eyes blinked, his mind attempting to contemplate what Robin meant.


	7. Child-isn't

Robin found himself appreciating Red Arrow even less than before. His stomach still churned from having a rather embarrassing incident blurted out in front of their newest team mentor. She's also already gotten mad at him but found himself almost caught crying in front of her earlier. He certainly wasn't feeling the aster right about now, yet he didn't wish quite yet to admit this aloud.

Instead, he focused his attention elsewhere. "Hey, since we have that settled, how about some team bonding with our new babysitter?"

Sometimes that mouth of his left a lot to be desired.

Zatanna reacted first, her voice straining. "Look. I was told to pick a room and settle in. I brought some stuff with me, so I'll go and unpack and leave you five to talk this over. I can trust you to behave, right?" The five looked at her, and she then said, "Okay. Leaving now."

Kid Flash burst out laughing, and yet so far, the speedster seemed like the only one who understood Dick's strange sense of humor. Superboy gave Wall a rather dumbfounded look indicating he didn't know _what_ was funny, while Kaldur crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. Roy, however snapped. "Seriously? How childish can you get? We don't need a babysitter? This is exactly why…"

Robin's entire body tensed. "You're right. None of us need a babysitter. Except you."

Wally took a deep breath, the amusement quickly leaving his face. The intake was sharp, indicating he knew all too well Roy managed to tick Roy off. Superboy stared, this time without the dumbfounded look. He opened his mouth to say something, but Red Arrow spoke first, his own temper flaring. "Excuse me!"

"You heard me."

"Robin, what you said was uncalled for." Kaldur sighed.

"So was what he said!" Robin felt his chest tighten.

"I didn't say _anything_ wrong! Why do you have to act so childish! I mean…"

"That's what you did wrong." Wally piped up.

"Stay out of this Flash wannabe."

"Excuse me!" Wally's own voice tensed up.

"Enough!" Kaldur snapped. He calmed his voice down once he had everyone's attention. "How can our mentors take us seriously as a team, if we're fighting like this?"

Roy glared at Robin. "How can they take us seriously and not treat us like little kids, when Robin makes stupid comments like, ' _let's bond with the babysitter_ '."

"Jeeze. I was simply making a joke." Robin folded his arms across his chest.

"Seriously. This is what I mean about you acting childish. Why can't you just grow up."

Robin's mouth opened, wanting to protest, yet also snark back again. The only person acting childish on the whole team – that was Roy. Superboy interrupted. "I didn't understand the joke, but you're wanting to have some team bonding time? I don't see a problem with that."

The youngest superhero felt his day brighten considerably. "Okay. I've got just the game."

He dashed over to where he stored a bunch of games and dragged out the game of Perfection he stored away. He didn't see Roy folded his arms across his chest. "A game. Are you serious?"

"It's a training tool." Robin turned around, a smile on his face.

"Yeah. Keep telling yourself it's not a little kids game to make yourself feel better." Roy's comment hit hard, and Robin swallowed, quite unsure of how to handle the situation. He knew deep down in the pit of his stomach that things didn't feel good, not at all.

"You know, what. If you're going to be like that, I'll just go ask Zatanna."

Wally sped over, suddenly nudging Robin in the ribs with his elbow. "Hey. Does somebody have his first crush?"

"What are you talking about?" His eyes narrowed, confused as to what Wally was getting at.

"You know what I mean. You've got a crush on Zatanna."

"I do not." Robin found the comment annoying yet couldn't figure out why Wally seemed to think he'd not yet hit puberty, but perhaps his small size played a part. At least though, Wally didn't underestimate him like Roy did.

"You do too."

"Seriously." Robin turned on his heels, heading towards the living quarters. "That's not why I'm asking her. Seriously, I wouldn't be that…"

He almost said the word _childish_ , yet Roy cut him off. "Wait. You're really going to go and ask her, a nineteen-year-old, to play a baby game?"

"None of your business." Robin snapped, not wanting to go into detail regarding what the game taught skill wise, let alone continue arguing with Roy. Right about now, he hated Roy. The fact he was the oldest seemed to go to his head. He walked through the hall, glancing into the rooms trying to figure out which one was Zatanna's. He opened the door, and saw her putting something on the wall. "Zatanna…"

The game dropped from his hands, clattering to the floor, the pieces flying everywhere.

**~B~**

"What do you mean it's your fault?" Cyborg watched Robin open and close his mouth like a fish, the panic setting in. In the back of his mind, Cyborg knew he'd seen Robin react this way, possibly one of the times he wasn't looking, yet he also knew his friends habit for blaming himself for things he wasn't at fault for.

"I betrayed you guys?"

"Are you talking about Slade?" His stomach lurched, and Robin flickered, suddenly wearing _that_ mask of his. They'd seen the darker side of Robin then, but how someone could get under the youngster's skin. Seeing the glaring Red X mask made Cyborg want to vomit.

His eyes closed, attempting to push aside the image of Red X which now stood in front of him. Opening them revealed Robin now also wore Red X's outfit. Cyborg screamed, "That isn't you! Don't let Slade get to you, to bring you down like this! I mean, come on! We told you that…"

Realization hit.

"… you're not alone."


	8. Free Falling

"Okay. Leaving now."

Zatanna headed back towards the living quarters. All the rooms were the same, but only one already contained the boxes her father had delivered to Mount Justice earlier. The boxes contained things she'd planned to have delivered to her apartment in Gotham, an apartment he didn't know about yet. His helpful attempts felt controlling, oppressive, if not downright irritating.

She purposefully closed the door, thinking nobody would come in without knocking, and took off her shoes hoping to relax.

The sheets and pillows came out first, giving the place a homier feel. On top of her dresser she dropped the stuffed animals she'd gotten at Haley's circus. She frowned, remembering John and Dick got her the toys, but how John let his cousin present her with the stuffed toys. Dick's favorite was the elephant, possibly because on his bed sat another similar stuffed toy.

She let out a sigh, getting out another one of her prized possessions. She wondered how her father would feel, knowing she still had one of their original posters. She pulled the poster out of the tub, taking in the red and yellow stripes. The entire family stood in silhouette, flying through the sky in a color picked for some special reason John never got around telling her about.

She stretched to put the poster up, when the door opened. She startled, turning her head. Zatanna's eyes widened upon seeing Robin step in with what looked like a game. "Zatanna…"

The boy-wonder looked up, his eyes obviously widening under his mask. His mouth opened, and the game slipped from his hands, crashing loudly. A strangled sound escaped his lips, before he turned and tore down the hallway in the other direction. Zatanna sighed, wondering what exactly got into the youngest member of the team.

She set the poster down, watching it curl slightly. Stepping over, she stooped down to pick up the mess Robin left in her room. Much to her irritation, Roy followed suit by barging into her room. "Alright! What did you do to upset Robin!"

Zatanna narrowed her eyes, wishing the young man wasn't such a stick in the mud, particularly when what she saw just a few minutes ago said he was innocent of antagonizing the youngest manner. "I don't…"

"What the hell!" Roy pointed at her poster. "You're the leader of the Teen Titans!"

"What?" Her eye twitched, wondering where Roy came to that conclusion, particularly when she remembered Wonder Woman clearly saying Robin was the one to form Teen Titans.

"Seriously!" With that, he turned on his heels as well. Setting the box down rather than finishing picking up the yellow shapes, she followed after the irritating teenager, only to step on one of the yellow pegs. Zatanna's lips pushed together more from irritation than pain, before following suit, limping the first few steps. Red Arrow remained in her site, turning to look at her. "Don't follow me!"

She took a deep breath, wondering how dense this specific teen could be.

They arrived back in the lounge, where she saw Robin pacing the floor, glancing up at her. Something was off, yet she couldn't place her finger on the reason. Roy prevented her from thinking over the situation by blurting out one of the most absurd assumption ever. Pointing his finger right at her, he said, "She was the leader of the Teen Titans."

Robin let out a squeak, obviously perplexed by this comment for an _obvious_ reason. Wally raised his hand. "So, what made you come to this conclusion?"

"Isn't this topic supposed to be off limits?" Superboy sighed.

"Well…" Kaldur looked at her, almost as if unsure about the situation.

"I am _not_ the leader of the Teen Titans." Zatanna took a deep breath. "However, I'd like to know what your problem is with them."

"They royally messed up, so we can't trust them. Everyone knows that."

"Well, since she didn't know that, she can't be a part of the team." Robin piped up, still pacing.

"I don't trust her, and you've gotten Robin upset."

"Whatever…"

Tornado's voice boomed over the intercom system. "Team, Batman has a mission for you. He says he will debrief you once you're in the plane, but to also get into your cold weather gear."

Robin frowned. "Now?"

"Now." Roy stated, pointing a finger at Zatanna. "You're not coming."

Kid Flash whistled. "You just told the den-mother who's in charge of us not to come along and supervise. Nice going dude."

Roy's eyes blinked, his mouth opening, before slamming shut. The eighteen-year-old stormed off, glaring over his shoulder. Kid Flash sped away, while Kaldur led Superboy away to the changing rooms, explaining the need for their thermal wear. Robin started following after, when Zatanna called out. "Robin, may I speak to you for a second."

The youngest member froze, before turning to look at her. "What about?"

"The rest of the team. They don't know you were the leader of the Teen Titans."

"I don't know what you're talking about, or why you would come to that conclusion."

"Yes, you do."

"Yes, on what part?"

Wonder Woman was _right_ about a certain someone being precious, possibly a bit too much for his own good. Zatanna folded her arms across her chest. "Robin, why does the team not know?"

The boy shuffled from one foot to another, obviously wanting to avoid the topic. "It's complicated. I don't want to talk to you right now. Could we possibly talk about this after the mission?"

"Are you sure you're okay to go on the mission?"

" _Why_? _"_ The boy hissed at her. " _Why_ would you think I wasn't?"

" _Besides the fact the team doesn't know you were the leader of the Teen Titans? Best not say that._ " However, there was that other thing. "You and I didn't get started on the right foot." She watched him flinch. "I should not have slapped you earlier. You didn't deserve that."

"No. No, I definitely did."

"Robin."

"I'm going to go and get changed now. Bye-bye."

Zatanna took a deep breath, unsure of how to deal with the youngest member, let alone read him.

**~B~**

"… you're not alone." Cyborg frowned. Obviously, Robin was right now alone, yet his mind found himself struggling to understand why Robin found himself so alone. The team promised to be there for each other, and yet for some reason Cyborg knew Robin felt this way. Which was odd, as Cyborg knew they were in his head, not Robin's, but Raven was nowhere in sight. "What does that mean?"


	9. Cold as Ice

Seeing the Flying Grayson poster produced left a horribly numb feeling deep in the pit of Robin's stomach. Worse, he found himself scurrying away like a coward, his fingers twitching uncontrollably. He barely noticed he'd brushed past Roy but didn't see the way Roy tensed up. He instead headed towards the lounge, flopping down next to Wally, gluing himself against the older boy's side.

Wally of course said nothing, having dealt with one of Dick's past episodes. Superboy and Kaldur looked at each other, slightly confused regarding why Robin acted in the manner he did. " _I do this all the time on Gotham's highest buildings without a net._ "

" _Don't you dare trivialize this situation Robin._ "

His eyes snapped closed, his mind working on recollecting if his path ever crossed with Zatanna, and yet he struggled with recollecting anyone who went by said name, yet for some reason he was _sure_ he knew her from somewhere. Roy storming into the room broke his concentration, making his head jerk up. "You won't believe what I found out!"

Robin swallowed, feeling as if he nearly choked on his own tongue. He realized he'd gotten up from where he sat next to Wally and started pacing. Superboy glared, not at all amused by Roy's actions. "What?"

Zatanna choose to walk in at that moment, and Roy pointed at Zatanna as she entered the room. "She was the leader of the Teen Titans."

He felt his head spin, feeling his world come completely crashing down. He continued to pace, listening to the conversation in a half daze. For some reason he felt the need to say, "well, since she didn't know that, she can't be a part of the team."

At least, he hoped she didn't know, because as a League member, Zatanna likely knew _exactly_ how royally they'd messed up, but that would explain why she was so upset with him. Yet, in the back of his mind he couldn't help but think in a typical bat manner of paranoia that she'd somehow figured out his identity. " _She hates me because I'm the one who survived._ , _"_ honestlysounded stupid in his head, yet it remained there.

"Whatever…" She didn't get to finish, yet Robin heard no sarcastic tone in her voice, meaning she meant to say something, perhaps asking, " _whatever gave you the idea I was the leader_ ", but it also meant she didn't blab _who_ was the real leader. Of course, she had to pull him aside.

And of course she _knew_. She knew he'd been the leader. He avoided the question of why he didn't say anything to the rest of the team, yet felt it should be obvious as _someone_ , he couldn't remember who, mentioned the topic was off limits. She then questioned his ability, frustrating him, but giving him a look of pity.

"You and I didn't get started on the right foot. I should not have slapped you earlier. You didn't deserve that."

" _OMG, she knows! She knows I'm a Grayson. She hates me because I'm not one of them – the ones who died and weren't afraid of anything! And I said something about nets, when…_ " What he said next made sense. "No. No, I definitely did."

He scurried off, heading for the locker room. He paid the others no mind yet felt Roy's eyes on him. "Are you okay?"

"Good grief! Would you just leave me alone Harper!" Robin stormed into one of the bathroom stalls, slamming the door behind him, so he might change in peace.

"Man. You really shouldn't antagonize him like that." Wally piped up.

"I'm not antagonizing him."

"Yes…"

"Guys. Stop arguing. We need to get ready."

Robin finished quickly, as his training called for, but waited for when he expected the others to leave. His eyes widened upon seeing Kaldur. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, yet only glanced at the ground.

The older teen watched. "You shouldn't let Red Arrow get to you like that."

"He…"

"I told you before, that I know. I also know the other day you told me you were okay, but that was the other day. Do you want me to say something to him, before we go on this mission?"

"He won't listen. You're not the leader." Robin shuffled his feet. " _Neither am I, but I doubt me being the leader would get Roy to listen to me._ "

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I'll be okay." He put on one of his fake smiles. "I'm Robin after all."

"Yeah, you are."

Robin scurried off, hoping nobody else noticed something was off. He arrived at the ship, and bounded forward, buckling himself into the pilot seat. Zatanna noticed, pausing for a second. "Wait…"

Superboy rolled his eyes. "Robin's the only one of us who can fly."

"Did you crack a joke, SB?" Robin turned his head, grinning from ear to ear.

"What?"

"Rob, I don't think SB was doing the whole laugh at yourself thing." Wally piped up."

"I still don't follow."

"You're Superman's clone, and you can't fly. You just said Robin's the only one of us who can fly."

Robin watched Superboy stare at the front of the ship, his arms crossed. Roy let out a sigh. "He didn't find it funny at all."

"Oh." Superboy suddenly said. "Ha. Ha. Ha."

"We really need to work on your laugh Superboy." Robin smiled.

"I told you. He didn't think it funny. That's how people react when they don't think something is funny."

"It is?" Superboy frowned, then opened his mouth. It snapped shut. He opened it again, but shook his head. "Sorry Robin."

"Told you."

"I am unable to produce a laugh like yours. I'm not even sure how to laugh properly, but I do understand why you found my comment amusing."

Roy facepalmed, but a slight smile appeared on Zatanna's face. She placed a hand on Robin's shoulder, making him look up at her. He flinched, and knew because of her reaction. "Sorry. Just, this is my first time seeing you fly, so please don't let that make you nervous, okay?"

"Why would it…" Robin frowned, thinking it over. " _Because this is the first time one of the adults is observing us in action. Wonderful. I was just whelmed, but now I'm overwhelmed. Asterous._ "

**~B~**

"What does that mean?" Cyborg honestly didn't like where this was going.

"I got the team screwed up."

"What do you mean? Are you in trouble Robin?"

Robin simply looked at him, the mask gone again. The look in his blue eyes said, no, he wasn't in trouble. Instead, it was Cyborg. "Definitely my fault."


	10. Asterous Start

The mission certainly started off asterous.

Zatanna saying, " _don't let that make you nervous_ " definitely _made_ him nervous, yet Batman came on screen right after that in order to debrief them regarding their mission. He was sure, despite the fact Bruce hadn't reacted, that the man could see _right_ through him. No, he didn't fear Batman. He feared over-protective Bruce Wayne who could ground him but get Alfred onboard with the treatment as well.

That was far more asterous than Batman, for sure.

"As you recollect, prior to the teams founding, those of you with mentors helped take down a set of ice villains. It has come to our attention they built an ice fort, so we are sending the team in for a reconnaissance mission. Let me repeat this is a recon sense mission. Do not engage, period."

A silence fell over the team. None of them were asking questions, yet Robin knew there was an important one to ask. Or maybe he asked to quickly, he honestly didn't know, considering how asterous he right now felt, particularly since he didn't want anyone to suspect he was the leader of the Teen Titans. "Who's giving orders?"

"You decide."

Asterous, as something told him Roy would want to be leader, meaning he'd be sidelined due to Red Arrow treating him like a child. Batman signed out, and Robin flipped the switches, preparing the craft to fly. The ship teetered slightly, yet hit nothing, simply catching the others off guard slightly. Only, Wally had to open his big mouth. "Man. You do have a crush on…"

"I do not!" Robin swung around, not paying attention to the controls. The ship began to spin.

The next thing he heard was a slight crunch and Kaldur yelling, "Robin!"

He quickly corrected, before checking for damage. His face burned red, knowing full well this mistake would get back to Batman, and he'd find himself grounded for weeks. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the look on Zatanna's face, one of concern, even if he couldn't see the rest of the team. He also noticed she'd gotten knocked over slightly but was regaining her balance.

Mentally, he cursed at himself, but found himself glad Raven wasn't there to hear what was going on in his head.

Pushing this into the back of his mind, he flew the ship to the location indicated, a place in the north, and set it down. Zatanna stood looking towards the back, placing a hand on Robin's shoulder. "I'm not going with you, as I expect the five of you to function as a team. In that regard, do keep in radio contact. I'll only interfere if you need help, but don't be afraid to ask for help if you get in over your heads."

"Whatever." Roy commented. Robin couldn't help but feel the last part of Zatanna's comment was directed at him, particularly since she was staring at him.

"What?"

Zatanna blinked. "Sorry. I was just thinking…"

"What?" Robin held back lashing out. He'd already found himself reacting too much for his liking today, to all sorts of emotional stimuli.

"No. I…"

"Come on. Spit it out."

"I shouldn't. I _really_ shouldn't." Zatanna shook her head, sucking in her cheeks ever so slightly.

Robin smiled at her. "Come on. I can handle it."

"I'm not sure…"

His smile turned to a bat glare, making her swallow.

"You really don't want me to."

"Come on. Robin said he could handle it. The polite thing to do is to say what you're thinking." Superboy piped up.

" _Thank you! Another person who gets that I can take care of myself!_ " He continued giving her the bat glare.

"Fine. I think you look adorable in your cold weather gear." The look in her eyes screamed. " _See why I didn't want to say anything._ "

Robin cursed himself for having _forgotten_ the fact every single _female_ on the Justice League ranks considered him cute, adorable and fluffy. _Hell_ , even villainesses weren't immune to his charm, but he hoped if he ever met Killer Frost that she'd be an exception to the rule. The attention lavished wasn't to his liking, despite what some males might think.

" _*cough* Green Arrow *cough* Flash *cough* Superman *cough* who was guilty of thinking the same thing *cough* because he was Superman *end cough*_ "

Of course, Roy and Wally burst out laughing, while Kaldur let out a groan. Superboy seemed a bit puzzled. "I'm confused. Isn't Robin's cold weather gear what one would call cute?"

The two laughing idiots laughed even harder, while Robin frowned at Superboy. " _Why do you have to be such a clone, clone?_ " His mouth twisted into a frown, yet he held his tongue, not wanting to hurt Superboy's feelings, particularly since he knew Superman was being his hardheaded Kryptonian self.

"Guys don't like being called adorable or cute SB." Wally chuckled.

"Yes, but…"

"Why don't we get started on the mission." Robin piped up, unbuckling from his seat. "The sooner, the better."

Yup, he'd said the last part so everyone could hear him. Roy stopped laughing. "Okay, so Robin is with me in one group, and the rest of you in another group."

"Wh…"

"We're going this way, you go that way."

Roy simply grabbed his arm, tugging him after him. " _Don't react._ _Don't let Roy get to you like Kaldur said. Take into consideration the fact he treats you like a child and adjust your own movements to that. After all, Batman trained you, so it should be no problem._ "

That didn't change the fact his predicament was embarrassing. Painfully so. He was being dragged along in a most strategic manner, but more specifically treated like a small child. Roy didn't even give the others a chance to say anything, yet there was someone who didn't need a chance to catch up. A gust whipped up, bringing snow up to land on both Robin and Roy.

Wally hissed. "What, do you think you're doing Roy!"

Kid Flash poked Roy in the chest. Roy narrowed his eyes. "What do you think you're doing? Why aren't you going in the same direction as the others to get to the fort?"

"Why? Because I'm the only one who can catch up to you after we argued about whether to follow your orders or not! What made you leader, huh RA?"

"Someone had to give orders."

"Why does that person have to be you?"

"Yeah AR. I'd make a better leader than you." Robin piped up, his wrist still gripped in Roy's gloved hand. " _Yeah, despite my royal screw up with the Titans._ "

"Sure. A thirteen-year-old is going to lead the team." Wally said what he did in a joking manner, just maybe, yet this was the wrong time. Robin wasn't in the mood for frivolous banter.

"Do you think you're mature enough to lead at fifteen, KF?" Robin hissed.

"Neither one of you are leading! You, because you can't follow orders, and you because…"

"Because what? You think I'm a royal screw up! Like the Teen Titans? You going to use _that_ against me?"

"I never would."

Meaning simply Roy hadn't figured it out yet, because he most certainly would use the Teen Titans incident against Robin if he knew. "You…"

"The Teen Titans have nothing to do with you. You're not a circus freak."

Robin felt his entire body tense. He was indeed a circus freak. Everyone at school said so, or so it seemed.

"However, there is that incident with Mothman to consider."

"That was your fault!" Robin snapped, coming back to his senses."

"No, it was yours."

Kid Flash glared at Roy, knowing full well whose fault said incident was, but that it could have honestly been much worse. A noise caught Robin's attention, and he held up his hand for them to quiet down.

**~B~**

Cyborg felt numb. Something happened to him, and Robin blamed himself. "No, not your fault."

"Yes. Definitely my fault."


	11. Colder Than Ice

The noise sounded like a patrol. Robin's eyes narrowed, his hand still held up towards his two teammates. The sound indicated the patrol was heading in their direction, yet Robin didn't know whether they were headed towards the three young heroes because of normal routine, or because they overheard the three arguing.

In Robin's mind, the logical course of action meant moving away and hiding. He expected the other two to follow suit, making sure the three held tactical advantage, yet quickly realized neither one followed him. He turned his head, wondering why, yet taking a deep breath. He twisted around, sneaking around the piles of snow, peeking out to see the patrol approach.

Red Arrow and Kid Flash of course didn't move despite knowing full well the patrol was approaching. Instead, the stared like idiots as those on patrol pointed their guns at them. Kid Flash raised his hands, likely looking for a chance to speed in, and yet running on the snow wasn't always the best idea. Red Arrow on the other hand reached up for an arrow.

"Don't move."

" _Yeah. Don't tick the bad guys off Roy._ " Robin took a deep breath, before glancing around for a way to gain himself height. Swiftly, he got up high, before diving feet first at the one of the goon's head's, letting out his typical laugh. The sound his feet made contacting the man's head rang out, signaling Kid Flash to move, taking out the guns, while Red Arrow shot off one of the nets, capturing them.

Over the intercom, they heard Zatanna's voice. " _What's going on?_ "

"We ran into a patrol."

"And whose fault do you think that was!" Kid Flash snapped, making Robin flinch.

"Are you saying it's mine?"

" _Guys._ " Kaldur spoke over the communication device. " _This is a reconnaissance mission. Attracting attention._ "

"KF and RA started the stupid argument about who's in charge!"

"Excuse me!" Kid Flash folded his arms across his chest. Robin mentally cursed himself, wondering if this would ruin their friendship. It scared him. "You're the one who took off on us, Rob."

"You were supposed to follow me! Not stay…"

"Are you sure you weren't using us for bait?" Red Arrow snapped, making Robin flinch.

"Wh…" He felt his heart pound. "I would not!"

" _Guys…_ "

"You expected us to follow you? You really want us to believe that? Who would?"

" _Why did the Titans follow my lead?"_ Robin watched Wally open his mouth, swallowing. He'd overstepped again, yet gotten on Wally's bad side, something he'd only done a few times, if ever.

"I'm sure Robin wouldn't use us for bait, would you Rob?"

"Batman uses me for bait all the time." The words came out of his mouth uninhibited. The looks he received made him quickly realize he said the wrong thing. He switched to glaring. "Forget what I just said." He started walking off. "We've got a mission to take care of."

"You can't just brush that off Robin."

" _Guys. We can hear you over the communications link._ " Superboy sighed, indicating everyone heard everything, but chances are everyone heard the earlier fight. They were five meters away from the patrol.

"It doesn't mean what you think it does."

"It most certainly does! You got this careless attitude from Batman, didn't you!" They were now ten meters away from the patrol.

"It's not careless."

"Using you for bait is careless! This is why!"

"It's not as if I don't know I'm being used as bait!" Robin spun around, finding himself twenty meters now from the patrol. He jabbed his finger into Roy's chest. "Do you really think I'd use my friends as bait without them knowing!"

Roy glared at him, and Robin's eyes widened. Wally rubbed the back of his head. "Robin, I think the issue here is using anybody as bait, not that…"

"Go make friends your own age Robin. I'm sure they'd enjoy…"

"My company!" Robin snapped. "You! You!" He spun around, hurrying off.

"… _being used as bait._ " Possibly what Roy was going to say was going to be worse.

" _RA! What the hell!"_ Kid Flash snapped.

" _What? It's not my fault he's acting childish. He's in the superhero business, and pulls this kind of crap._ "

" _Actually, it is your fault Red Arrow_." Kaldur spoke up.

" _Yeah. Even I could tell what you said was cruel._ " Superboy piped.

"Shut up! Just! All of you shut up!" Robin snapped. He noticed the wind started to pick up, blowing snow around. He got that sinking feeling in the pit of the stomach, the one which indicated something bad would be happening.

" _And exactly how are we to ask you where you just took off to?_ "

" _Wait? Robin took off?_ "

" _Yeah, well, Roy just basically said we're not his friends. I don't blame him one bit._ "

"You idiots! I can hear you! Stop acting like I can't!" Robin felt his entire body tremble. Being the youngest sucked big time. It was different when he was with the Titans, but now he wondered if the only reason things were different came down to the fact he was the only sidekick. "Exactly where do I stand with you guys?"

His entire body tensed up, realizing the last part was over the communication device, meaning everyone heard his outburst. His hand reached up towards the communication device, one gloved finger touching the object. Zatanna spoke. " _Robin? Where are you?_ "

"I am fine! I am perfectly fine!" He yanked the earbud away, quickly lobbing it away from him. Taking a deep breath, he realized the weather was starting to worsen. He pulled his cloak around him tighter, shivering. He took a deep breath, starting towards the speaking device despite the snow obscuring his vision, hoping he could find the object.

His fingers reached down, hearing faintly his teammates calling out to him, telling him to come back because the weather was worsening. He picked up the device, putting it back on, only to freeze part way through, the only action being. "Oh shit."

A blue snowman was watching him, but the next thing he knew he found himself blacking out, a pain in the back of his head due to someone knocking him out.

**~B~**

Cyborg closed his eyes, wondering exactly what Robin blamed himself for. Flashes of memories flooded him of the hell on Earth, but Robin screaming as some of his cyber tech ended up smashed. Except, he wasn't sure if Robin was there, or elsewhere, simply the fact either way, Robin blamed himself. That was simply how Robin was. He'd been taken out of commission.


	12. Missing Robin

Everyone in the Justice League always said Robin always left an impression. Thinking back, Zatanna remembered her father mentioning the positive effect the boy had over the dark Gotham crusader. She'd never heard a negative thing about him either, yet knew every member seemed fond of him. She expected the same result, and yet now she didn't think she got the same positive response.

It wasn't that she didn't like the boy.

If anything, the attached feeling she felt towards Batman's sidekick meant she did in fact have a soft spot for the boy, yet in the same regard she couldn't ignore that sinking feeling in the back of her head that something was wrong. She'd not placed it quite at first, startled a child so young would make such remarks regarding their own life.

Except, he wasn't a child.

Zatanna was quite sure she heard Kid Flash say Robin was thirteen, not eight or nine like she suspected. The enthusiasm she expected from Flash and Green Arrow's stories of the young sidekick seemed missing, her mind remembering when she first met the young teen. " _I'm completely concerted and not crying. Completely, absolutely feeling the aster right now._ "

He was a teenage boy hitting puberty and dealing with the ins and outs of teenage social life.

He was a teenager, and just like Red Arrow she managed to treat him like a small child. True, she tried treating him as the child genius she knew he was, what with the fact everyone in the league knew Robin – not Batman – did most of the security programming. However, she practically patronized him when she told him not to be nervous, which in turn resulted in the exact opposite effect.

She's also told a teenage boy hitting puberty he looked cute in front of his peers, rather than a child afraid of such things as cooties. Kid Flash rubbing in the idea Robin might have a crush on her didn't help. If anything, his reaction indicated he was rather sensitive regarding the way everyone perceived him _despite_ being a genius.

" _You think I'm a royal screw up! Like the Teen Titans? You're going to use 'that' against me?_ "

Hearing that line over the communication system explained why Robin said nothing, though she also recollected someone saying the topic of the Teen Titans was off limits. She guessed the reason was Red Arrow as he thought the Titans were circus freaks, which in turn explained the reaction to her poster. " _Not that I'd 'ever' get rid of 'that'."_

She watched the sky from the hidden aircraft and the snow falling. Of course, Roy was the one who kept royally screwing up, at least when it came to Robin. " _Go make friends your own age Robin._ "

Zatanna let out a sigh yet didn't want to interfere. The problem was, Wally put it quite well. _"Yeah, well, Roy just basically said we're not his friends. I don't blame him one bit._ "

" _Exactly where do I stand with you guys?_ "

She'd not wanted to interfere and let them settle their differences but also let them solve their first mission. The snowfall was worsening, and Robin wasn't _with_ the rest of the group. "Robin? Where are you?"

" _I am fine! I am perfectly fine!_ "

Zatanna winched upon hearing the communication device hit something. Kid Flash started panicking. " _Robin? Hey, buddy._ "

" _Robin!"_ Kaldur called out.

Superboy remained silent, likely due to not knowing how to react to the situation. Red Arrow of course did not. " _Seriously. He had to…_ "

" _Enough._ " Kaldur snapped. " _We need to find Robin._ "

" _This wouldn't have happened had…_ "

Zatanna's fingers twisted around the edge of the seat. "Stop."

" _What?_ "

"I have had enough of you treating Robin as if he is a child incapable of defending let alone taking care of himself."

" _I wouldn't treat him that way if he didn't act so childish in the first place._ "

"Did it ever occur to you Red Arrow that the reason Robin is acting out is because of the way you treat him?"

Red Arrow didn't respond thankfully, allowing Kid Flash to speak. " _How are we going to find Robin, if he's not talking to us?_ "

Zatanna closed her eyes. "I could cast a locating spell."

" _Uh, magic isn't real._ "

Kid Flash's response was far from amusing, but Kaldur spoke, a slight worry evident in his voice. " _You doubt the spell will work?_ "

Her mind flickered to when the Grayson family died. Taking a deep breath, she spoke softly. "No. Guys, I want you to be prepared for your mission to fail."

" _What? Are you saying Robin is in trouble? He's Robin for crying out loud. He's Batman's sidekick. He's better than any of us but has been doing this longer! There's no way he'd get himself into a situation where he'd get hurt._ " Kid Flash's voice strained. " _I'm heading in the direction he took off in!_ "

"Kid Flash! Don't. There's a storm picking up."

" _He makes a valid point though._ " Superboy piped up. " _Aqualad and I are still together, by the way._ "

" _That…_ " Roy sighed. " _That sounded so wrong._ "

" _Zatanna, do you have any reason to believe Robin may be in trouble?_ " Kaldur asked.

"None of you noticed?" Zatanna crossed her arms.

" _Noticed what?_ " Kid Flash piped up. " _I can't find him! I know he went..._ "

" _That Robin has not been himself today._ " Kaldur piped up. " _Despite the fact he told me he'd be okay, he is not._ "

" _What do you mean he's not? He's his usual hyperactive self._ " Roy groaned.

Zatanna looked up, noticing the storm was getting worse, yet none of the team seemed to be taking the necessary steps at finding shelter.

" _Guys! Robin ditched his coms device. I just found it."_ "

" _Why the hell would he do that?_ " Roy snapped.

" _I don't know dummy. It's not as if a certain someone told another certain someone to go and make friends his own age._ "

Zatanna frowned, still looking out at the storm, noting there was something strange about the way it moved. It seemed to come and go from a certain direction. "Look. We need to find Robin."

**~B~**

"No, no, no."

Cyborg's eyes blinked, knowing full well he heard Robin's voice. The teen sighed, wondering where Robin got to this time. He found his friend cowering in a corner, his head buried under his arms. "Robin."

"No. No, no. no."

"It's not your fault."

"I want you to wake up."

"Oh…"

"But I don't."

Cyborg's eyes closed. "Say what?"


	13. Blue Snowman

A shiver ran down Robin's spine, his eyelids flicking open. He blinked a few times to stop the dizzy spell rushing through his head. The light in the room hurt his eyes giving him a headache, only for a sudden realization to occur. The light in the room hurt his eye because his head hurt, not the other way around. He suppressed a groan, knowing that meant some bad guy knocked him out.

The next step was escape.

He titled his head slowly, attempting to take in his surroundings. The dizziness didn't go away, but it didn't get worse either. The entire place was icy, but his small frame continued to shiver acutely. The fact he found himself pinned against an icy wall didn't help, nor did his cold weather gear, almost as if the entire uniform found itself drenched in the cold of the blizzard.

Glancing at the side, Robin narrowed his eyes. His found his wrists securely attached to the wall. Frowning, Robin mentally cursed himself for not having come to quick enough, yet also for losing his cool. His fingers wiggled, attempting to retrieve the lockpick from his glove. He carefully maneuvered the item out, aiming the pick at the lock.

His teeth ground together, concentrating on the task despite the chills racking his body, yet he found his body not functioning in the manner he expected, almost as if the ice coldness was paralyzing his body. He thought he almost had the lock on one of his wrists undone, when the lockpick slipped from his grasp, glittering to the ground.

Robin took in a deep breath, his ears picking up the sound of the metal lockpick hitting the ground.

A muttered curse escaped his lips, his mind hoping the sound didn't draw anyone's attention. His eyelids drooped, his mind wondering how to get out of the situation. For a few minutes his vision blurred. When they opened, he found himself sucking in his breath, as in front of him was the blue snowman he'd seen before.

His eyes closed.

His eyes opened.

The blue snowman was still there.

Robin hung there limply, watching the person in question. His mind worked sluggishly, yet he found himself concluding the snowman must be some kind of snow villain.

"Cute."

"What?" His throat felt dry, but slightly painfully.

"You're cute."

Scratch that. The _snowman_ must be a snow villainess. His eyes blinked, confused.

"Still confused? I'd heard Batman's sidekick was super adorable…"

There was that word he heard used regarding himself.

"… but I'd never get around to Gotham to check the rumor out for myself."

Robin swallowed, his throat hurting. His eyes closed, not liking the situation one bit. He felt something tug on his cape, yet he kept his eyes closed.

"And what an adorable outfit you have! So bright and cheerful! What a cute contrast between the Batman. Honestly, that's one of the reasons why I don't go there. Gotham's hero is scary. Just as scary as Wonder Woman."

"Uh…" Robin let out a groan, keeping his eyes closed. He honestly wasn't wanting to think about Wonder Woman at a time like this when it felt like the creepy snowman was… the words didn't come quite to his mind, but the thinking process wasn't working correctly. His body was simply too cold. He felt a hand touch his cheek lightly yet refused to open his eyes. "Stop."

"Do I repulse you?"

"Creeped out."

"Excuse me."

"Enough villainesses…" He kept his eyes closed.

"How'd you know I'm female? There's no way you could have known."

Robin's eyes snapped open. "Called me cute."

"I see."

"And what is this about villainesses. Are we not as good as the men?" The blue snowman – which honestly sounded strange knowing he was really a she – placed hands on their hips.

Robin shook his head slightly, his eyes snapping shut because of a sudden wave of dizziness. A hiss escaped his mouth, but his head hurt. He tried thinking of the right word, yet his normal vocabulary didn't seem to work. "Hit on me."

If he was in his normal state of mind, he'd have given her a speech about how older women hitting on someone his age was downright creepy. "Oh. Of course I wouldn't hit on you! You're too little! That will have to wait until your older and more of a looker."

Another groan escaped his mouth, his eyes closing. " _That didn't come across as creepy. Not at all. Then again, maybe my brain is super addled. I want to go home._ "

He felt guilty for getting mad at Red Arrow, but even his best friend. He wondered if Wally would ever forgive him for snapping like he had, but found himself personally doubting – well, everything. Hands down he screwed up this mission. Perhaps not when he ducked for cover expecting the others to follow, but certainly when he took off in an attempt to cool his head.

Except he couldn't form even a despairing thought, his eyes drooping. Even running the symptoms of a concussion and hypothermia through his head didn't work.

**~B~**

Cyborg frowned, contemplating what Robin just said. Robin buried his head further. "I said I want you to wake up, but don't."

The words were muttered. "Why?"

"Don't want you to see how bad I messed up. Don't want you to know I failed you. All of you. That I…"

"That you what?"

"Another team."

"Another team?" Cyborg frowned.

"I didn't abandon you guys, but…"

Cyborg started. He found himself getting mixed messages. Something happened, something which upset Robin. Robin never got upset around the rest of the team, and yet Cyborg felt as if Robin had, as if the young hero was talking to his unconscious self. How many times had Robin visited, let alone how much time had passed, he didn't know. That didn't seem as important as something else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note – My experience with Blue Snowman is limited, so I may not have gotten the character correct. It felt like the right villain, or in this case villainess to use for this mission.


	14. Finding a Robin Nest

The seconds ticked by, yet already the time lapse felt like days.

Zatanna remained with the ship, insisting someone stay behind in case they needed to call for help, something which wasn't met well with the younger teams. Red Arrow seemed the worst, but upon her pointing out they needed to find Robin he proclaimed, "I'll retrieve him."

" _Say what?_ " Kid Flash seemed quite displeased with this.

" _We should stick together and work as a team._ "

" _Why don't you tell that to Robin when we find him Aqualad? After all, he didn't stick with the group, nor did he work as a team._ "

" _Hypocrite._ "

" _What's that supposed to mean?_ "

" _Kid Flash means…_ "

" _This is probably not the best time to explain what Flash means to Red Arrow, Superboy._ "

" _Exactly what are we going to do._ " Kid Flash piped up.

Zatanna frowned, her arms crossed. Thankfully, she didn't say what she thought so the others could hear. " _I'm thinking I should call for help. No, I will be, despite the fact they're not going to like it._ "

" _Do what you want._ " Red Arrow. " _I'm rescuing Robin, and on my own._ "

" _Of all the…_ "

" _Ignore him Kid Flash. Meet Superboy and I up at the location of the ice fort Batman mentioned._ "

" _What? Are you saying the mission takes precedence over Robin._ " Kid Flash seemed quite worried, yet Zatanna for some reason she was sure he was the last person to underestimate Robin's abilities. Calling for help seemed like a good idea.

" _No. I'm thinking if something happened to Robin, that's where we'd find him. If nothing happened, that's still where we found him as he'll be focused on the mission._ "

" _Okay. Meet you over there._ "

Zatanna switched her communication line over to a private line, still listening in on the team. Pushing a button, she took a deep breath hoping she was making the best decision. The red robot of the Justice League came on screen. "This is Red Tornado."

"Red, I am thinking we may need some help."

" _It is the team's mission. They should be handling this on their own. If they need help, they will ask._ "

"It's not that simple."

" _Do you think the team doesn't realize they're in over their heads, or do you think they will not need to ask for help?_ "

"The only one I'm honestly worried about asking for help if he needs it is Red Arrow. No, I'm more concerned with a potential medical issue involving the only person capable of flying us out of here."

" _You do not know how to fly the plane?_ "

"This is not a model I am familiar with. I am able to run the communication device, but having just gotten back to the League, I have not done any simulation training on this plane. I'm also not yet apprised to the ability of the team, so I don't know what their first aide abilities are like, so I'm likely to be the one administering first aide."

" _I will come._ "

"Not Batman?"

" _Batman is taking care of league business and is currently unavailable. This said, if Robin is in trouble, Batman is actually the worst person to call in._ "

Zatanna took a deep breath, remembering the look Zatara gave Batman. " _I'm actually 'not' the most overprotective person in the league_."

" _The team may also see you asking for help as a lack of trust in their abilities._ "

Her eyes closed, her memory flickering to the nightmare she kept having of little Dick Grayson falling and smashing to his death. Sometimes John fell with him, but other times John stood there, pointing, and blaming her for the death of the cousin he thought of as his little brother. Her eyes snapped open. "It's not about trust." Except, regarding Red Arrow it was. "No. It's about doing the right thing."

Wally yelled over the communication system. " _That idiot!_ "

"Red Tornado, please come. I've got to go and see what's going on now. _"_ She switched back to communicating with the team. "What is it? What is going on Kid Flash?"

" _That stupid, stupid Roy!_ " For some reason she guessed Kid Flash was referring to Red Arrow. " _He set off the damn alarms._ "

" _Wait for Superboy and I to get there before…_ "

" _I can't wait. Rob's my friend. I can't let him think I'm not. I can't._ "

Zatanna took a deep breath, swallowing. " _I want to trust them. I do. But Red Arrow's put them into a difficult situation simply because he didn't think. This isn't to say Robin isn't to blame somewhat, but that child did not need to hear some of the things that older boy said._ "

The voice in the back of her head spoke up. " _Yes, well, Red Arrow's not likely to know the real trigger behind why Robin's upset, and if he did…_ " Zatanna shuddered at the thought, thinking Red Arrow might blow up at Robin, or something worse.

" _Also, Kid Flash's brought up the friendship issue quite a bit. I wonder what that's about, and if he knows anything._ " She decided to speak. "Kid Flash. If you do go in without Superboy and Aqualad, do be careful. If you're reckless, and Robin is in need of our help, not thinking straight will not help him."

" _Alright Zatanna_."

" _In the meantime, I am going to head in their direction. It's not a matter of not trusting the team. It's a matter of not trusting Red Arrow, and I can't for the life of me let another child – albeit teen – die on my watch._ "

**~B~**

"How do you feel, being replaced?" Robin was wearing the Red X again. "Isn't it this all over again?"

"That…"

"That's what is important to you, isn't it Cyborg? That I'm now a part of another team, like before? That I am leaving you behind to fend for yourselves. That I don't care."

Cyborg frowned, before launching his fist at the fake Robin. "Shut up! If that incident means anything, Robin always puts others before himself. Which can only mean one thing. I won't let you say otherwise.


	15. Robin Break

The alarm going off should have told him someone came to get him, but instead Robin found himself squeezing his eyes shut due to the blaring noise piercing his skull painfully. The young vigilante swallowed, his mind unable to focus as he fought off falling unconscious. He thought the creepy lady left, making his eyes flutter open briefly. "I want Batman." His voice trembled. "I want anybody."

"Robin."

Robin's eyes snapped open, his mind recognizing the voice. "Oh no."

"Seriously?" Roy let out a sound of annoyance. "I came to rescue you, and that's the response I get?"

"Alarms…"

"Yeah, I know. I kind of set them off when I snuck in here."

" _Snuck? That's not sneaking._ " Robin felt one of his wrists released. " _Kind of. More of don't rescue him."_ Even in his head the thoughts weren't coming out correctly. He simply didn't want the idiot who set off the alarms rescuing him, for what kind of rescue would that be? "Nyah."

His other wrist came undone, making him fall forward. Roy hadn't gotten his legs undone, so the strain against his ankles hurt slightly. The older teen caught him. "Woah? You okay?"

"No." Robin felt his small body hang over Roy's shoulder as the older teen went to work on his ankles. He attempted to lift himself up, only to find his head spinning. The fact Roy simply let him fall forward quickly didn't help the dizziness or how much his head hurt. He felt the older boy tense up slightly.

"Wait? Are you actually admitting you're not okay?"

" _Lucky not throw_." Robin felt slightly nauseated and forced his eyes closed, swallowing as he did. He felt his feet come loose.

Roy stood, attempting to place Robin onto his feet. The boy felt his teeth chatter around in his head like the stuff in a baby's rattle, but he found himself unable to wrap his arms around his body to warm himself up. One of his hands fumbled for the sleeve of Red Arrow's uniform, which wasn't red as the young man was wearing his winter gear. Robin felt hands grip his shoulder. "Robin, what's wrong."

"Head." The alarms still went off.

"Look. If you hack the system, the alarms will stop."

Robin tried shaking his head no, that he couldn't at this point. His teeth continued to chatter, but speaking wasn't feasible. Nothing was, meaning something was seriously wrong.

"Hey. Look at…" Roy's calloused hand reached out for his chin in an attempt to get Robin to look him in the eye. Hearing the deep intake of breath made Robin's eyes snap open. "Dear God. You're freezing. How's that possible when you're wearing your cold weather gear."

"I don't…"

"Don't talk. Conserve your energy. I'm going to get you out of here." Roy carefully turned, letting Robin drape slightly over his shoulders before lifting up. "I need you to hold on tight though, in case I need to use my arrow."

"No."

"Robin. If I don't get you out of here…"

" _Idiot, idiot, idiot._ " There was after all no way that the older boy could fight with Robin on his back, but Roy had indeed forgotten completely about the communication device. Something Robin found himself cursing the fact he'd tossed his, yet also swallowing knowing Batman would be seriously pissed off "Batman mad."

"Batman? You're concerned about him being mad at you? Kid, I think he'll just be glad you're out alive. If anybody needs to be concerned about the bat, it's the rest of us on the team."

Robin tried shaking his head. There were things Robin did wrong, which meant he would be indeed facing the side of Batman he hated the most – parent Batman. Roy sped out into a hallway, looking around carefully for an escape route. The other teen moved to fast, making Robin clamp his eyes shut, yet he knew suddenly they were dodging with him stuck on the idiots back.

He could feel from his position just how hampered Roy's ability to shoot off his arrows were. He found himself sliding down, almost falling off the older teens shoulder, only for Red Arrow to jostle Robin slightly to keep him in the piggyback position. He seriously wasn't feeling the aster. "Just, hang in there. Okay?" For some reason Roy said, "No. No. I'm not in a position to talk now."

Robin's eyes opened, realizing Roy was talking to someone else on the team. "RA."

"Shush." Roy twisted around another corner, yet something told Robin they were heading in the wrong direction. Namely, he could read the signs the language the signs were written in as Roy pushed through the door. "Looks like an exit to the outside."

"No. Wait." Robin attempted shifting his weight to throw Roy back to prevent the other young man from heading out of the door clearly marked as being "enter with caution". Instead, as Roy came into a rather icy room his feet slipped on an icy patch, sending them over the railing into a pit from a part of the building which had collapsed.

The next thing he knew, they were both tumbling down the steep slope and hitting the bottom. As they tumbled, Robin felt Red Arrow's heavier, but also larger body crash into his own a few times. Worse, the young man landed on him forcing a squeak out of Robin's mouth. Red Arrow remained still for a few minutes, before lifting himself up.

Robin closed his eyes, feeling the ice below him. His wrist hurt slightly, yet he didn't think anything was broken. His body felt seriously bruised. Red Arrow started to stand. "Come on. I'll help…"

"Stop." Robin could see how serious their position was.

"Look. I get the fact I've been a little pushy…"

The younger vigilante shook his head, pointing at the layer forming over the river, but the cracks starting to form. He continued to shiver. He held out his hand, motioning for Red Arrow to give him something. "No."

"We've got to move."

Robin took a deep breath. The pain was starting to numb, but this wasn't necessarily a good thing. "The ice will crack." He sensed Roy stop moving. "Hand me your communication device."

"You're finally talking in full sentences." Roy pressed a finger against his own communication device. "No, Robin wasn't speaking in full sentences a few minutes ago. He said his head hurt."

Robin began to fidget, reaching for his utility belt. "Your communication device."

"Yes, but…"

"Please."

**~B~**

"Let me tell you something Red X who's definitely _not_ my buddy Robin. I don't blame Robin for what happened me at all. See, I'd fight by him any given day, and I'd fall as well. I'd sacrifice myself for him, because he'd do the same for us."

* * *


	16. Who's the Leader? Not Me

He felt the communication device pressed into his hand, yet Robin saw the reluctance on Red Arrow's face. He took a deep breath. "Hi guys. I'm on RA's earplug."

The sound of his voice sounded awful, yet the alarm was no longer blaring in his ears, meaning he could think straight. Plus, something told him the cold was getting to him, as the pain he felt was lessening. " _Don't you ever do that again Rob._ "

Kid Flash's voice made Robin freeze, unable to swallow back the disappointment he heard in his friend's voice. "Don't worry KF. I'm fine."

" _Fine? You told Red Arrow your head hurt. You never admit when something's wrong unless it's super bad! You're not okay! You're not okay at all!_ "

"Fine?" Roy took a deep breath. "You've got a head injury, but we're on thin ice here literally."

" _Did Roy say you're both on thin ice literally?_ "

Robin felt his body tremble, knowing full well he wasn't okay. "I need you guys to listen to me."

" _What? So you're leader now?_ " Superboy piped up.

"I…" Mentally, he froze, yet the words came out. "I do have the most experience."

"That doesn't mean you'd make a good leader." Roy said, making the cogs in Robin's head turn major circles.

" _Robin_." Kaldur's voice piped up. " _It's not that you wouldn't make a good leader. On top of the fact you're likely not in a condition to lead, you're used to operating under very different situations than us._ "

"Meaning?" Robin's eyes closed.

" _You're used to a team dynamic where everyone knows the roles they play going in. As such you aren't prepared to give orders to a team which does not._ "

The words sunk in. "I don't want to be a babysitter."

"Hey! That was uncalled for! And you babysitting all of us when we're all older than you?"

"Yeah. Not exactly…"

" _Roy! Leave Rob alone! If you say something else that upsets him, I will pummel you into the ground._ "

"What? You're still talking to me after the crap I pulled?" Robin tried laughing it off, only to find himself wincing.

" _What? Why would you think that?_ "

"Just…" A thought crossed his mind, yet he hated in some ways doing so. "Kaldur?"

" _Yes Robin?_ "

"I think you should lead."

"What?" Roy flinched. "What do you mean…"

"Outside of Roy, I think everyone else on the team would agree with _me_ on this."

" _Definitely_." Superboy spoke up.

" _Pretty much a no-brainer._ "

Roy glanced at the ground. "I've got to admit I agree with you that Aqualad should be leader. You and I don't exactly get along."

The words stung, but Robin choose to ignore them. Kid Flash on the other hand became furious. " _Roy! I told you…_ "

"Look. Kaldur, RA and I went through the river ravine exist and landed on the river. If we move, the ice might not hold. We've still got a mission to finish."

" _Robin? Are you really serious about me being leader?_ "

"Yes. Yes I am."

" _Then as leader I am call off the mission._ "

"What?" Robin's eyes widened. "But… Batman…"

" _Dude. You really need to stop worrying about living up to Batman's standards. You're only thirteen. He's like, ancient. We're coming to get you by the way._ " Kid Flash piped up.

"The mission. The mission…"

" _Isn't as important as you are my friend. Despite the fact you've not likely felt this way, you are indeed a very important member of our team._ "

"Yes, but…"

" _Zatanna. Am I correct in assuming the only person on this mission who knows how to fly the aircraft is Robin? So getting the plane to land downriver in a more open area would not be an option._ "

"What are they saying?"

"Pointing out the obvious. That I'm the only one who can fly us out of here."

" _No. I've not learned to fly the plane at this point in time, but I did call in help just in case. Red Tornado is just minutes away and can fly the plane. We'll be where you need us."_

Robin felt a tinge of guilt deep in his stomach. Aqualad had been correct in regards to the lack of experience of the rest of the team. A real leader would have taken that into consideration, and yet, he thought this would work like the Titans. Something he'd failed at. "I'm sorry guys."

" _Robin, don't be so down on yourself._ " Kaldur honestly made a good leader, yet Robin knew the older teens words weren't working.

"If I hadn't thrown a tantrum like the entitled little brat…"

" _Rob…_ " Kid Flash spoke up.

"… I am, then Zatanna wouldn't have had to call Red Tornado in to help."

"She _what_!" Roy snapped. "They don't trust us! They…"

" _Roy! We can hear you._ " Superboy piped up.

"They can hear you."

"Good, because I think she's an absolute…"

" _Don't use that language in front of SB! He's still innocent._ "

A laugh escaped Robin's mouth, catching Roy off guard. "What?"

"Just… KF said not to use bad language around Superboy because he's not even a year-old."

" _I'd laugh, but I've still not figured out how to, but I don't think this is the time._ "

Robin laughed at the clone's comment. Kid Flash spoke, his voice filled with concern. " _I didn't mean that as a joke, but are you finally feeling just whelmed Rob?_ "

"Yeah. Yeah, I think so." Robin looked up at Roy. "If Zatanna doesn't trust anybody, it's me."

" _That isn't true._ "

"Didn't I make a careless remark earlier regarding nets? I… _"_

" _Rob, as much as I like hearing you talk so we know you're still conscious, please stop being so down on yourself._ "

"Can't help it."

" _Robin. I promise I and the others will be there to get you and Red Arrow._ "

"Don't make promises you can't keep." Robin felt the dizziness start coming back. He moved his head slightly, looking up. His eyes widened upon seeing the person entering where he and Red Arrow came over the edge. He saw them lift up a gun. Quickly he moved onto his hands despite the pain in his wrist, throwing a quick kick into Roy's gut, sending the older teen flying a few feet away from him.

"What the hell! Why did…"

A shower of bullets rained down where they both were, closer to Robin than he would like, causing the ice to crack. The cracking spread around, but he found himself unable to get into the right position on the ice. " _Rob. I'm almost there. I'll grab you…_ "

He wanted to say grab Roy, yet he could feel his small body starting to slip into the icy water. His fingers grabbed for his utility belt, but somehow managed to grab his rebreather before he found himself going in.

" _Kid Flash, go after Red Arrow. I'll get Robin. Superboy, break a hole in the ice further down the river and be ready to pull us out._ "

He saw a yellow flash streak by, but was sure his friend managed to grab Red Arrow, even though it might be a task. He found himself struggling to keep the rebreather in just as a stream of bubbles appeared indicating someone or something dropped into the water. Kaldur swum towards him. One arm wrapped around Robin's waist, while the other held the rebreather in place.

Kaldur used his legs to propel him through the river currents just as Superboy smashed in, reaching for his two companions. Robin found himself pulled from the water, shivering worse than before. He felt Superboy reach for him, lifting him up.

"Careful how you move Superboy. We don't want the ice to crack and for Robin to go in again."

"Understood."

**~B~**

"You don't get it." Red X continued to glare at Cyborg.

"What do you mean I don't get it?" Cyborg poked Red X in the forehead.

"This isn't about you. Never has been."

"Oh, so are you going to go into some super pity me party? Because I'm not going to have it?"

"Have it?" Red X laughed. "You don't have much choice, as I'm not the real Robin. He's out there, and yes, he is most definitely having a pity party right now. Doesn't that make you hate him?"


	17. Team Failings

" _In the meantime, I am going to head in their direction. IT's not a matter of not trusting the team. It's a matter of not trusting Red Arrow, and I can't for the life of me let another child – albeit teen – die on my watch._ "

Zatanna pulled the hood of her winter gear in tighter, thinking of heading out. Yet, at the back of her mind remained the nagging feeling of needing Red Tornado there to fly the plane. She let the hatch open and watched as snow billowed lightly around. A beeping sound went off, making her startle and head back in. She pushed the button.

" _I am not far from your location. I estimate arrival time in ten to fifteen minutes. Any word on the team._ "

She turned her communication off but kept the team on speaker. "So far, nothing. I just can't help feeling…"

Roy started speaking on the other side.

" _Robin. … Seriously? I came to rescue you, and that's the response I get?_ "

"Yes. Robin was definitely captured. I do not know of his condition yet."

" _Do keep me apprised of the necessary details._ "

"Understood."

" _Yeah, I know. I kind of set them off when I snuck in here._ "

Superboy piped up on the other end. " _It's not sneaking if you set the alarms off._ "

" _Woah? You okay? … Wait? Are you actually you're not okay?_ "

Zatanna frowned, pushing to communicate with Red Tornado. "I was correct. Robin isn't okay. He's admitted as much."

" _Robin. What's wrong?"_ She could hear Roy as Red Tornado continued their conversation.

" _That is not a good sign if Robin is admitting he isn't doing well. What caused these events?_ "

"I'll tell you later. Possibly when I debrief other members of the league. I hope you get here soon." Zatanna frowned, listening into one side of the conversation between Red Arrow and Robin, yet also the rest of the team attempting to get the oldest team member to fill them into the details. She heard Red Arrow mention they were going through some kind of existence before hearing a crashing sound. " _Note to self. If Red Arrow is to remain with the team, we need to work on his blundering into situations._ "

Her heart pounded in her chest, waiting for an answer, and then she heard the voice she wanted to hear. " _Hi guys. I'm on RA's earplug._ "

Robin seemed calmer than before, yet there remained an edge to her voice, but she wasn't amused when he told everyone he was fine. Nobody was, but finding out the two were in the ravine waiting for the ice above the river to crack didn't say the two were fine. However, she found herself rather proud with how the team handled finally deciding _who_ would be leader yet wondered how Robin – having led the Titans felt about all of this.

Glancing down at her watch, she noticed Red Tornado was only a few minutes out. Kaldur gave out the instructions well, so when the AI landed, she instructed him where to land. She watched from the hatch, waiting for her team to appear. Things seemed to be going well, until she heard Roy yell out.

" _What the hell! Why did…_ "

She heard some kind of gunfire, and then a cracking sound, meaning the ice was breaking. " _Rob. I'm almost there. I'll grab you…_ "

However, Kaldur seemed to have a better handle on what is going on. " _Kid Flash, go after Red Arrow. I'll get Robin. Superboy, break a hole in the ice further down the river and be ready to pull us out._ "

"That doesn't sound good." Red Tornado spoke from the cockpit.

"Nothing about this mission ended up going to plan."

Just as Kaldur said he and Superboy had Robin, Kid Flash came hurtling in dragging Red Arrow by the scruff of his neck. Letting out a curse, Roy sat up, his eyes narrowing at the boy. "What the hell! Did you have to be so rough!"

Kid Flash pushed Red Arrow down as the boy started to stand. "We wouldn't _be_ in this situation if you hadn't run your mouth like you usually do! If anything happens to Robin…"

"Enough." Zatanna shook her head. "This does nothing to help Robin." She turned her head to look out at the river. Superboy and Aqualad appeared, with Robin clutched into the arms of the clone. Upon arrival, she pushed the button allowing the hatch to lift up. "Red Tornado, take off." She beckoned Superboy over to the side. "Over here."

Superboy set Robin down. Zatanna took a deep breath, strapping him into one of the chairs. Robin's skin was definitely cold to the touch. She spread her hands out over the boy. "Yrd dna mraw Nibor pu."

She watched as a soft glow spread across Robin's body. She watched the boy's clothes begin to dry. Aqualad placed a hand on her shoulder. "Will Robin be okay?"

Zatanna opened her mouth, turning to the team leader, only to find herself turning back to the soft, "sorry."

"Whatever for, my friend?"

"I forced you to be leader. That means you've got to deal with Batman and the repercussions of failing the mission."

Aqualad lowered his hand, squeezing Robin's shoulder slightly. "I'll take dealing with Batman and the repercussions of the team failing if it means you're okay."

Zatanna closed her eyes. "Robin. Where are you hurt?"

"I bumped my head a bit, but twisted my wrist as well. I possibly bruised Arrow's ribs when I kicked him."

"Good." Kid Flash piped up from where he buckled in.

"Hey." Roy glared at Kid Flash.

"Do you even understand how much trouble we're going to be in with the league?"

"Enough. Let's concentrate on getting home." Kaldur spoke.

Zatanna glanced over at Robin, watching him continue to shiver. When they arrived in the docking bay, they found themselves greeted by Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter. The green alien came on board, carefully unstrapping Robin from the chair. He lifted the boy up, carrying him gently in his arms. "We'll see to Robin and make sure Batman is contacted."

Zatanna took a deep breath.

**~B~**

"No. It doesn't make me hate him." Cyborg narrowed his eyes, his mouth pushing together firmly. "You say Robin's afraid he's abandoned us, but we both know Robin never would. So isn't what he's really afraid of is us abandoning him? My friend needs me, so I am going to wake up now.


	18. Awakening

Everything around him proved a freezing haze. He felt Superboy lift him up into his arms, carrying him like an infant as his entire body shivered yet came close to no longer shivering. His small arms wrapping around his small frame did nothing to fight back the cold seeping through his tiny body. As Superboy shifted him, Aqualad grabbed the rebreather away so it was no longer in Robin's mouth.

They carried him across that ice for what felt like ages, yet the realization that the person who shot at them – the blue snowman – left him and Roy to die hit good and hard. Except, he wasn't sure if it was the blue snowman or one of her henchmen.

Upon arriving, he heard Zatanna ushering him into one of the seats

"Yrd dna mraw Nibor pu."

A warmth spread over him, and yet he identified what just occurred as magic – an all too familiar kind. In the back of his mind, he started remembering something ever so faintly as he responded in what may or may not be a coherent manner. He fought off the urge to sleep, at least until the adults could warm him up.

He found himself surprised when Wonder Woman and Martian Manhunter appeared. The Martian gently lifted him up and carried him towards the med room. His eyes started to droop, only for Wonder Woman's fingers to grasp his chin. "Robin. Can you hear me?"

"I want Batman."

"Batman is busy doing something, but as soon as we contact him, he'll be here." Wonder Woman went down onto her knees, holding him lightly. "Sweetie, are you hurt anywhere?"

"Got clobbered on the back of the head, and my wrist is sore. Nothing new."

A knock came at the door, and Superboy peeked in. Wonder Woman frowned. "We're trying to treat Robin right now."

"I just wanted to let you know he doesn't have any broken bones. He's just very cold, and whatever bumps and bruises as you speak he might have."

"Thank you." Martian Manhunter said, making Superboy leave the room. "He is a nice young man, isn't he?"

"I guess." The two began removing his clothing which was only slightly dry because of Zatanna's spell. Martian Manhunter lifted him into the medical bed while Wonder Woman pulled the sheets back, tucking them around him as his eyes closed.

He turned under the covers, snuggling in close. In his mind, he didn't look forward to speaking to Bruce about what happened, and yet he desperately wanted the man there no matter how childish this might seem. The door opened. "I brought more blankets."

"Thank you dear."

Robin's eyes blinked open, and he mumbled out, "Anna."

"Don't call me that."

As the door closed, Robin pulled the cover over his head. Giving someone a nickname so quickly seemed childish, and yet…

A memory flicked through his head, and he sat upright, starting to panic. Martian Manhunter gripped his shoulder. "Robin."

Somehow the man used his telekinesis ability to bring over a trash can in time for Robin to throw up. "Concussion. He's not going to like this."

Robin felt alien fingers poke at the back of his head, then his wrist. "We'll need to wake Robin every hour or so."

Robin dropped where he sat, watching the Martian bring over a bandage to wrap his wrist up with. Wonder Woman smiled slightly. "I'll fetch clothes from your room so you can change them into in the morning, if you feel up to it."

" _Zatanna hates me because Jojo died instead of me._ " Robin continued to stare, shocked at remembering Zatanna dated his cousin John before he died. His mind remained focused on figuring out her connection to the Grayson family, he didn't notice Wonder Woman lean in or the door opening until he felt the brush of her lips on her forehead.

His cheeks turned a vivid red, his voice catching in his throat for a brief second. He opened his mouth to tell her she wasn't his mouth, only to hear the sound of another person who spoke faster than him. "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Wonder Woman just… oh boy!"

"KF! When I get my hands on you…" led to him throwing up again, his face burning red despite his body still feeling cold.

**~B~**

A beeping sound drew Dr. Stone towards the direction of his son. The computers gave off various signals and he went through each one. "I'll be. Didn't Robin come and visit you today? I wonder what he said that got you to start waking up Victor."

Taking a deep breath, he started preparing for when Cyborg would wake up. After every preparation was made, he found himself grabbing a book he knew Cyborg liked. He started reading out loud, focusing on the reading in hopes of not getting his expectations too high. Eventually, a voice interrupted the reading.

"Dad?"

"Victor?" His son's voice was weak from disuse, yet it felt so good hearing it again.

"Where's Robin?"

Dr. Stone frowned. "He was here a little earlier. Why?"

"So he didn't abandon us."

"Why would you think that?"

"It's not that I thought he did. More of, I think that's what he thinks. He feels guilty."

"Well…" Dr. Stone closed the book. "I have been watching him when he comes by. I told him when he first started coming that you wouldn't want him beating himself over what happened to you, or that you would blame him."

"The others?"

"Well, I hear every single one has gotten a mentor. They have one lined up for you as well once you recover." Cyborg frowned, making his father frown. "Something the matter?"

"They didn't care before."

"No, but Robin did. He didn't care what you were like but treated you like a human. For that, I'm grateful. But, to be honest. I know you may not like this team thing, but that may be the only way for any of you to see Robin. So, if they offer, think about whether you say yes or no with care."

"It's good to be awake."

"Yes. I'm glad you're awake. So very glad."


End file.
